CHARLESTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” WednesdayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s monthly meeting of the Central West Virginia Regional Airport Authority ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” the board that governs CharlestonÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” was the last for its long-time chairman and 32-year member Ed Hill, along with three other veteran board members.
Hill, a Charleston attorney, along with former West Virginia Adjutant General Allen Tackett, coal operator Andrew Jordon, and retired McJunkin Corporation CEO Bernie Wehrle were not reappointed as Kanawha County representatives to the airport board by the Kanawha County Commission when their terms were set to expire earlier this month.
The 15-member governing board includes eight members representing Kanawha County, with the remaining members representing Boone, Putnam, Lincoln and Nicholas counties and the City of Charleston.
Hill, who is also a private pilot, said he was honored to have served on the airport board during an era of significant change, including transforming the airportÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s general aviation terminal from a cramped, dingy facility ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œthat didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t smell good,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ to todayÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s more comfortable and attractive Capital Jet Center.
Hill said he also took pride in how the airport board helped fight off an attempt to relocate commercial air service from Yeager to a proposed regional airport in Lincoln County.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œFor a capital city, Charleston has the most convenient, easy to use airport in the country,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Hill said.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been my pleasure to serve on the board,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Tackett, a 12-year member. While a plan to extend the airportÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s runway into Coonskin Park has been put on hold by the Federal Aviation Administration, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI still think extending the runway should remain the most important objective of this board,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Tackett said.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThese gentlemen have been a tremendous asset to the airport board,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ said Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango, who is also a member of the airport board. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œUltimately, their appointments expired, and the commission decided to appoint a few new members to the board. We truly appreciate their decades of service to the board and Kanawha County.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
On June 5, the Kanawha County Commission signed orders appointing replacements for Hill, Tackett, Jordon and Wehrle. Appointed were:
Booth Goodwin, a Charleston lawyer, former U.S. Attorney and husband of Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin
Paul Saluja, Charleston immigration attorney
Tristan Leavitt, Charleston attorney and House of Delegates member
Kyle Mork, CEO of Greylock Energy in Charleston
Re-appointed to represent Kanawha County on the airport board were Salango, Lisa Pack and Todd Goldman.
An election of officers is scheduled for the authorityÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s next meeting on July 23.
Rick Steelhammer is a features reporter. He can be reached at 304-348-5169 or rsteelhammer@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ on X.
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